An Undeniable Magnetism: Gregory Gourdet in the Alps
By Willie McBride | Top photo: Toni Spasenoski
Gregory clutched his trekking poles in one hand while the other gripped a chain anchored to the cliff. His eyes focused on each foot placement, his breath steady. We had just crested the Rochers de Naye, the high point of the Montreux Trail Festival MXSky 30km race in Switzerland, and were heading down to Col de Bonaudon via the Grottos de Nayes, nestled into the side of this precipitous slope. He moved slowly, after all a fall could mean serious injury or worse, but wore his customary smile, a sort of childlike grin that lit up his face, below eyes that shone with excitement. Sections of chains and cables led to metal stairways bolted to the rock, the commonplace sort of Alps-engineering that allow runners and hikers to gain access to treacherous terrain. I would go ahead and then stop and wait, looking back up at him as he negotiated the demanding trail. Our eyes would meet and he would giggle nervously, though it was clear he didn’t want to be anywhere else.
Gregory Gourdet, renowned Chef and someone I’m lucky to call a close friend, travels so frequently that I can hardly keep track: New York, Paris, Aspen, all over Europe and the UK, and beyond, mostly for food and cooking events as the celebrity chef he is, but on occasion for an actual personal vacation. This summer, luckily for me, that rare vacation meant a trip to the Alps: a few days with a Run the Alps group in Zermatt, Switzerland, a birthday weekend and 30k race with me in Montreux on Lac Leman, and then a wonderful dinner party with Run the Alps friends and family in Chamonix cooked by Chef Gregory himself. He followed the Alps part of his vacation with a few days clubbing with friends in Ibiza, to balance it all out.
Despite his frequent travels, I was the one orchestrating this fun series of events—not his personal assistant/travel agent—so I felt responsible for everything going well and for him having a good time. Previously, Gregory had never hiked and run—let alone raced—in the Alps, so I was conscious about that going as smoothly as possible too. Gregory’s day-to-day schedule is typically so demanding that—while he stays impressively active given his workload—he simply can’t consistently get in the training necessary to be properly prepared for the intense vertical gain and loss, not to mention the exposed and technical trails, that are par for the course in the Alps. Being a Chef is his #1 priority, while training for mountain travel sits well below. He does what he can, when he can, and he’s ok with that. As his long-time running coach and training consultant, I’ve had to learn to be ok with that too; he’ll do as well as he can with the training he’s been able to fit in; sometimes that’s more, sometimes less. C’est la vie.
As an athlete and coach, I care deeply about making outdoor sports inclusive and accessible for all abilities. That said, the Alps are unquestionably intimidating. Most folks, even well seasoned runners and hikers, usually don’t have access to mountains of that scale, jutting upwards for thousands of meters at a time. I realized on this trip though that there exists in the Alps a fascinating irony—that these mountains that seem so challenging and out of reach are actually, in many ways, more accessible than most. Let me explain: initially the difficulty of the Alps seems at odds with them being open to all levels, and yet, the more you experience and travel the mountains there yourself, you realize that accessibility, both literally and figuratively, is really the whole point. At nearly every turn you are presented with options to adjust your route, to stop for a meal and/or take a cable car to the next pass or down the valley. You can easily make your route more difficult or you can make it less; you can add kilometers or take them away. This is mirrored in the people you see there too; for as many uber fit and fast people out there, you also see the 8-year-olds and the 80-year-olds and everyone in between, not going fast. I was struck also by how many people—groups, families—I saw just sitting beside the trail soaking it in.
These weren’t just momentary rest stops either, but rather full-on mountainside lounging sessions. Many evolved into group naps, with participants curled up or sprawled out in grassy patches for extended periods of time. This was very inspiring—why rush through our adventures to get back to the hustle and bustle when we could extend them as long as possible and just enjoy being out there? Isn’t that why we’re doing it? The Alps are big, there’s no denying that, but the options to craft your own itinerary and intensity are endless.
By the time Gregory and I made it to the Col de Bonaudon and wrapped around the striking Dent de Jaman, he was starting to really slow down; a course with 18ish miles and 6,500ft of climbing and descending is not common in Portland or New York City, the two places Gregory calls home, so this was a true challenge. Gregory just wanted to finish, to get back down to the waterfront in Montreux next to the Freddie Mercury statue, and feel that sweet sense of completing something hard—in this case really hard. On the big descent, we came into an aid station and they informed us that we were right up against the cut-off time but we could keep going if we left immediately. We grabbed a couple handfuls of food and did just that, trotting down the trail, through dense forests and open hill sides, past chalets both modest and grandiose, the customary ringing of distant cow bells reaching our ears from all directions. The footing became more rooty and rocky as we descended, until we were traversing the deep Gorges du Chauderon, nearly back to Montreux. Slow is smooth, smooth is fast. We kept pushing into town and onward until the finish line came into view beside the glistening water of Lac Leman. I watched proudly as Gregory strode through it and was awarded his finisher medal with a massive grin stretched across his face. The time didn’t matter, the pace didn’t matter; it was the time spent together and the accomplishment that did.
The next day in Chamonix, we joined Doug Mayer and Toni Spasenoski for photos on the spectacular trails near Brévent, looking across at the great massif of Mont Blanc itself. Suddenly, a man and woman walking by us turned and exclaimed “Aren’t you Gregory Gourdet? You’re our favorite chef! We’re huge fans!” They said they were from San Francisco and followed everything he did, loved his cookbooks, his Top Chef appearances, and so on. I’ve been with Gregory many times before when random passersby have stopped and played the celebrity praise game, but I wasn’t expecting it on the side of a mountain in Chamonix. He took their compliments with his warm smile and thanked them profusely for their kind words. He asked them questions about their trip, found out it was their honeymoon, and congratulated and wished them well. He chatted, unhurried, for a few minutes more until they departed, floating down the trail in a state of bliss after meeting one of their heroes. It was clear they’d be telling that story for years to come.
That night, at the Run the Alps dinner at The Hub, I witnessed and thought more about what makes Gregory so magnetic. It’s his natural ability (despite the fame and celebrity status that seem to dilute this quality in others) to be real and genuine and have that be truly felt by the people around him. He connects to people through his personality, and, of course, through the magical powers and flavors of his food. It was a special evening filled with his amazing cooking and so many good people, a highlight of my and our time together in the Alps.
It struck me at last that Gregory and the Alps have something in common: they are both renowned and intimidating in their fame from the outside, but actually are accessible, approachable, and open to all when you get the opportunity to know and experience them firsthand. Gregory had to leave the next morning to head to Ibiza for the “active recovery” part of his trip. I was sad to see him go—there was so much more I wanted to do together, from enjoying cafes and local food to exploring more of the mountains and trails and breathtaking sights, but we will have to wait for next summer.
Every trip I take to the Alps just makes me want to return again, to see more, do more, connect with more good people in beautiful places. After our time together there, Gregory texted “Thank you for everything again! Life changing experience!” so I know he feels the same way too.
Join us with Gregory and Willie!
July 22 – July 28, 2027
Get all the details and booking info for this special tour:
Chamonix Culinary and Trail Running Vacation with Gregory Gourdet
Willie McBride is an endurance athlete/adventurer, coach, guide, and business owner (The Wellness Movement For All) based in Portland, Oregon. He’s been fortunate to climb mountains and run trails around the world, having many powerful and awe-inspiring adventures along the way. His greatest passion of all though is sharing his enthusiasm for movement and the outdoors with others, and trying to help people live well and feel better in both mind and body.